DRAPER — The Women's Premier Soccer League Final Four featured a little bit of everything during its four games, held at Juan Diego Catholic High School.
And it capped the festivities with a dramatic conclusion.
Rebecca Moros scored in the 88th minute as first-year squad Long Island of New York beat River Cities of Missouri 1-0 en route to the WPSL championship Saturday evening.
"It's amazing," said Long Island coach Paul Riley of winning the national league.
The final featured a pair of expansion teams.
Moros' dramatic game-winner, like most of the final, was far from pretty. But in a game that featured two quality defenses, it was enough to lift the Fury to the title.
Bristyn Davis sent a long free kick deep into the penalty area. The ball pinged around and eventually fell to Moros near the top of the 6-yard box. She simply slid the ball into the net.
"It bounced just right," said Moros.
Long Island's defense was the backbone of its squad throughout the year, and it was strong again in the final.
"I thought our defense was excellent," said Riley.
Neither team created managed to create many serious scoring chances during the first half.
Long Island had a pair of chances in the 17th minute, including a 1-on-1 chance that was saved well by River Cities' goalkeeper.
At the other end, River Cities' attack was anchored by Jennifer Nobis. She helped set up a pair of opportunities for Ashley Tamblin, though Tamblin wasn't able to capitalize.
There hasn't been a full-professional league in the United States since the W-USA folded in 2003. Without it, the WPSL and W-League are the only national leagues in the United States.
AJAX AMERICA 3, SAN DIEGO 3 (Ajax wins penalty shootout, 4-3): In the third-place game, Utahn Liz Bogus smacked home the game-winning penalty kick.
Bogus, who prepped at Brighton High, also scored once. Nicole Bucciarelli-Jacobson also scored for Ajax.
On the other hand, Sarah Halpenny, Valerie Strocco and Ouying Zhang, a former Chinese National-teamer, had goals for San Diego.
The game ended on a sad note when San Diego's Jennifer Lalor-Nielsen, who played for the United States in the 1995 World Cup, went down with a knee injury. She was diagnosed with a torn ACL, pending an MRI.
E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com